Risky experimentation

Refer to ‘The Agnipath way’; the scheme is an example of short-sightedness. After four years of military service, 75% will have to retire, it will be a betrayal of their dreams. The use of such ‘contract’ in the forces is not justified. The consequences of this experiment in the Army may soon come to the fore. It may be the opposite of what the government is hoping to achieve. There is a possibility of secret information being leaked. Army job is not a part-time job. The scheme is sheer deception, injustice with the unemployed youth. Will these contractors take responsibility for the future of those youths? Ask the people associated with the Army and their families, what is the place of the Army and service in their heart?

Sikandar Bansal, Shimla

A young force

The Agnipath policy on defence recruitment is a step in the right direction, keeping in view the long and porous border we share with Pakistan and China. To safeguard this type of border, human surveillance is imperative. A fit and younger regiment, duly trained in guerrilla warfare, is needed to quell the numerically superior Chinese armed volunteers seen in the 2020 Galwan Valley clash. India needs a specialised human combatant force to operate in treacherous terrains. If the Short Service Commission for officers is already in place in the forces, the concern being expressed by veterans for other cadres is not justified.

Anil vinayak, Amritsar

Not a game-changer

The government’s decision to induct 46,000 Agniveers into the Army for a limited period of four years may not augur well for the battle-readiness of the Army on tough borders with our hostile neighbours China and Pakistan. With barely six months’ basic training, the new recruits may not be able to match the fighting techniques and capabilities of the regular recruits in the Indian Army. The first casualty would be the merit and expertise of the Army in handling modern equipment and nuances of the latest warfare. Given this scenario, will it be advisable to induct into a fully trained Army inadequately trained Agniveers? The consequences can be better imagined than explained. At any rate, the new scheme cannot be called a game-changer.

Maheshwer Sharma, by mail

Will instil nationalism

Already, staged protests have started against the new Agniveer recruitment scheme. But there is a silver lining. In Singapore, a short duration stint in the armed forces is a must for all students before they join any university course. Only those who opt for medicine as a career are exempt. This results in instilling a sense of nationalism and pride in all citizens. Singapore is not the only country following such or similar routine. Other concerns aside, this scheme could be a big advantage for the nation.

Sandeep Chaudhri, Karnal

Letter to CJI

Refer to the news report ‘Ex-judges write to CJI on state repression in UP’; it is strange that former judges and senior advocates of the Supreme Court have taken the court of the Chief Justice of India as an ordinary office and have started correspondences with it. If at all they were aggrieved in any manner, they could file a petition before the apex court. Nowadays, everyone is aggrieved with the decisions/actions of the present government in one way or other, and if all start making references to the CJI, the said court will merely become an ordinary office dealing with correspondences and won’t remain a court passing verdict on petitions. It would cause a setback to regular petitions, which are already piling up. There is huge pendency of cases, which is alarming.

GD Gupta, by mail

Passenger rights

Reference to ‘DGCA penalises Air India’; reports suggest that Indian carriers have been overbooking their flights as Covid-19 cases are receding, and when the number of passengers exceed the number of seats in an aircraft, the airlines do not take them on board. The DGCA has justifiably imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh on the airlines for denying boarding to a passenger with a valid ticket, and thereafter not providing the mandatory compensation as per rules. The DGCA’s stipulations are in sync with similar regulations followed across the world to accord appropriate respect to the rights of passengers.

SS Paul, Nadia

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